Don't want to give away Murph. Everyone in NY loves him and he's worked his ass off to become what he is. We wouldn't get much back for him anyway. However, I'm very afraid of giving away Ike. I know he's struggled mightily but I can tell he works his ass off too and I'm terrified if we trade him, he'll be the next Chris Davis.

Several times while watching Mets games, I've heard the announcers comment on how hard Murph works. They always say how he's one of the first guys out there every morning and one of the last to head in after workouts/practice and that he's always trying to get better.

Finally, you say something that could be viewed as evidence that he tries harder. However, I don't know how much stock we can put into this. Do the announcers watch every player practice every day and keep notes on how many hours they spend doing so, and how much sweat drips off the brim of their hats.

Now, I'm not saying different players don't put different amounts of effort into improving. What I am saying is that as fans, we cannot determine who puts the most effort in. I will also go as far as to say the broadcasters really can't make that determination either.

Just look at Manny. To many people, Manny was one of the laziest players in the game. Boston had him on irrevocable waivers. From the outside, everyone would think he was a gifted player who was not putting the effort into being one of the greatest of all time. But those people didn't know that Manny would spend hours studying not just the starting pitcher he would face, but the relief pitchers that were likely to be brought into face him later on in the game, prior to each game.

The point is, sure effort can be measured, but not by anyone commenting in this subreddit, so let's not circlejerk over one player because we all think he puts more effort in than others.

Unfortunately there aren't any metrics that measure practice and effort. I will say that watching the Mets' games, it is clear that Murphy is an extremely hard worker. Aside from Byrd, Lagares, and Eric Young, he's one of the only players that runs out every play, even routine balls to short. He's similar to Young in his extra effort on the base paths by taking the extra base and really pushing the envelope.

Do you remember how bad he was defensively when he first came up? They couldn't find a position for him because his defense was so terrible. He's had to work that much harder to learn a totally new position to him (Second Base). He came up as a 3B/1B. Corner positions are much different that middle infield. Most guys come up from the minors as specific position players, they don't have to work to learn new positions. Due to Murphy's inability to play outfield, David Wright at 3B, and lots of options at first, he worked to learn a new position to keep his spot on the team and his bat in the lineup.

It's not a circlejerk for no reason. They guy HUSTLES 24/7 and that's something fans like to see.

Murph. He has done nothing but get better, and he's done so on the strength of his own discipline and will. He may never be a "superstar" level player, but he already is pretty darn reliable and consistent and I think with a bit more time he's going to be a rock. He's good for the clubhouse, he's well loved by fans, staff, and fellow players, and he isn't worth a whole lot. We have bigger holes to fill.

As much as I love Ike and agree that he may end up the next Chris Davis- I just don't see it happening at Citi. I think he's pretty banged up in the head from his struggles with the Mets in the last couple of years, and I don't think he's going to be able to overcome that baggage at the plate for us. He needs a fresh start in new surroundings. Let's send him on and let him be the superstar he can be, and fill some of our gaps in return. I'll be happy rooting for him elsewhere.

I wouldn't be upset to see any of them go, but if I had to keep one it would be Montero. You can never have too many young arms in your organization. On that list Ike is probably the player I like the best, but I think a change of scenery would be the best thing for his career. Murphy is a solid grinder, but I think he has hit his ceiling talent wise.

Montero is a middle of the rotation pitcher, a number two at best. He's really just a superior version of Gee. When you way that against the other guys, I think him and Davis get put on a similar level. Davis has the potential to be the type of firstbasemen that you're not going to look to improve upon. I'm not saying he could become the best in the league, but he could get to the point where if he's your weak point, you have a really good team.

Where Montero does sit above the others is in the fact that they have six years before worrying about him becoming a free agent. When Davis hits the free agent market, there are going to be a bunch of teams bidding on him, seeing his potential, but hoping that his injuries and inconsistencies will keep the price down.

I think I'd be most upset over Ike getting traded. It's hard to argue in favor of keeping a guy like Murph at this stage in his career and our rebuild. Montero would be a great rotation contributor, but we've got plenty coming down the pike.

I don't think so. I'm very indecisive whether or not I want to see him gone, because I still feel like Ike is one of those players that succeeds at every level/stage of career, and when things don't go his way he either A. gets too heated or B. makes the adjustments. Unfortunately he's been too much of an A type. Would have been nice to have that 30hr threat at first with above average defense that seemed like a lock from him too. I predict he'll go on to another team and do that, even if its later rather then sooner.

Murphy, simply because I don't think we'd get that much. Murphy is the most stereotypical "way more valuable to us than he is to anyone else" player. He's really a very valuable player to us, but he doesn't have much value on the market. It's a weird situation.

I actually disagree. I think Murphy is worth significantly more to a contending team than he is to the Mets, a team that, in 2014, isn't a serious competitive threat. In my opinion, Murphy's a luxury the Mets don't need and is more valuable to the origination as a trade asset.